Split Up!
by Crystal Manning
Summary: Carey and Kurt are divorced. Zack lives with Carey in Boston. Cody lives with Kurt in Los Angeles. They have to get through their lives without each other...or do they? This is now the sweet life of Zack and Cody. Complete.
1. Divorce

Split Up!

Summary: Carey and Kurt are divorced. Zack lives with Carey in Boston. Cody lives with Kurt. In Los Angeles. This is the life of Zack and Cody…OCxZackxMax CodyxOC

Ch.1-Divorce

"MOOOM! DAAAAD! CODY AND I ARE GOING TO THE PARK!" Twelve-year-old Zack Martin called back into the house as he and his twin brother Cody ran outside. Cody carried a bat and a ball while Zack carried two gloves. The Martin twins closed the font door and started to walk down the street of Kentucky.

"Can you believe it? In a week we'll finally be thirteen!" Zack said excitedly.

"Actually, in seven days, seven hours, twelve minutes, and forty-nine seconds we'll be thirteen, to be exact," Cody replied without hesitation. Zack rolled his eyes. He's used to Cody calculating the exact time they have to wait for something, but it still bothers him! The twins were on their way to the park to meet their friends Jake, Josh, and Tori Douglass. Jake and Josh are twins, like them, but they're all ready thirteen. Tori is their seven-year-old sister.

"Either way! We'll be able to go anywhere we want!" Zack said excitedly.

"Then decide to move to a different neighborhood!" Their neighbor, Mrs. Anderson called from her porch. They've had a little bit of trouble with her. They've broken three of her five windows on the back of her house, accidentally ran their remote controlled cars after her dogs so they would jump into the pool, which they're scared of, and broken a couple of other things that has gotten them into trouble.

"That's never going to happen!" Cody said.

"Yeah! You'll be stuck with us forever!" Zack agreed.

Laughing, the twins ran the rest of the way to the park. Jake, Josh, and Tori were waiting for them by the baseball diamond. Tori was leaning against the fence, drinking some juice, while Jake and Josh tossed balls into the air and tried to hit them.

"Hey guys!" Tori called to them, brushing her hair out of her face. They smiled at the petite girl and gave her double high fives.

"You guys ready to lose?" Jake asked in a fake mocking tone.

"Nah. We're ready to whoop your butts!" Zack replied as he handed Cody a glove and they both ran out onto the field. Tori walked to the plate and pulled down her catchers mask. Josh went to bat, and Jake went to the pitchers mound. He spat out some raisins he has been chewing on and gave his brother a glare. He brought back his hand, flung it forward, and released the baseball. Josh watched the ball, and then swung. The bat and ball connected with a loud _CRACK! _It went flying back towards Zack and Cody. They both backed up, gloves rose…but they weren't paying attention to eachother. They crashed into each other and landed in a heap. The ball bounced a couple of feet away.

Tori, Jake, and Josh started to crack up as the twins got back t their feet. Cody got the ball ad tossed it back to Jake…well, he tied to. It only flew forward a couple of feet then landed on the ground. He blushed in embarrassment as the other started to laugh harder. Zack held his sides while Jake and Josh rolled on the ground, while Tori slapped her knee.

Zack picked it up then threw it back to Jake. He and Josh switched places, so Jake was at bat. He struck out all three times. The last time he accidentally threw the bat so Josh, Zack, and Cody had to dive to the ground and cover their heads.

"You. Are. A. Baseball hazard!" Tori said slowly as her eyes got wide when she lifted her catchers mask.

"Yeah well, you're no prize yourself!" Jake shot back.

"I bet I could do better than you!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Then let's see, Miss Know-It-All!"

"Oh don't worry! You will, Mr. Baseball-Hazard!"

Tori took the bat the Cody handed to her and glared at her older brother. She stood on home plate and spat a stream of spit onto the ground. Her hair, which was pulled back in a ponytail, was being blown in the wind as the tension on the field grew.

"Try and hit this, baby sister!" Jake growled as he threw the ball with all of his might.

"Try and catch this, older brother!" She shot back as she hit the ball. It went flying into the air and out of sight. All the boys could do was staring at t in shock. Their mouths hung open as Tori rested on the bat and smirked.

"Well, well, well. Look who beat her older brother. Who's that? Oh yeah! It's me!" Tori taunted as Jake slowly turned and glared at her.

-------------

The kids played until the sun started to set and they all had to leave to go home for dinner. After exchanging goodbyes, Zack and Cody took their equipment and started to walk back to their house. The talked about what they were planning to do for their birthday all of the way back to their house. When they were just down the street from their house they could hear shouts coming from that direction.

They exchanged looks of shock and ran towards the house. They flung open the door and ducked in time to avoid getting hit by a suitcase. They watched as their parents yelled at each other and barely got out of the way when Carey threw something out of the door.

Zack and Cody were finally able to get inside the house without any injuries. They just stared at their parents in shock, listening to their conversation.

"They're my family too! One of them is mine!"

"I'm not letting you take them from me! Just go, Kurt!

"No! I'm not leaving until I know which one of them I'm taking!"

"Kurt-"

"Don't Kurt me Carey! If I have to leave, I'm not leaving without one of my boys! Now why won't you let them stay with me?"

"Because you need help, Kurt! You need serious help! The only thing you're going to do to my sons is hurt them! They're staying with me and that's final!"

"No Carey! I'm taking one of them and that's that! Then I'll be out of your site!"

"That day won't come soon!"

"Wanna bet? Cody!"

Cody looked up startled. He has never heard his dad say his name like that, or heard his parents fight like this before. It scared him. He couldn't let Zack know that. Just by looking at the look of rage on his father's face made him suddenly realize something.

"Y-yeah d-dad?"

"You're coming with me! Pack your things! You won't be coming back!"

"NO!" Zack screamed. He ran forward and pulled his brother into a tight hug. Cody hugged him back as tears fell down his face.

"No! No no no no no! Don't separate us! Please don't!" Cody's muffled voice sniffed.

"I'm sorry, baby. But this is how everything turned out. Zack will stay with me. You'll go with…him!" Carey said in a soft, soothing voice.

"Noooooooooo! I need to be with Zack! I need to stay with Zack! Zack is all I have! Without him…I'll have nothing!"

"Cody Martin! You're coming with me! NOW!" Kurt yelled as he took his son's arm and pulled him forcefully away from Zack. He let out a whimper as his father tugged him along behind him towards the open door.

"Zack!" He cried out as he held out his free hand towards his twin and tried to stop his father from dragging him out of the house.

"Cody!" He cried and tried to run after him, but his mother held out his hand.

"Mom! We have to get Cody! We have to-"He started to scream but his mother shushed him. Tears were leaking out of her eyes.

"I'm s-sorry Zack," was all she said.

"NO! CODY! CODY!" He screamed out the door as tears flowed freely down his face.

"ZACK!" He screamed back.

"NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS WE'LL BE TOGETHER! I'LL TRY TO FIND A WAY TO COMMUNICATE! DON'T FORGET ME CODY! DON'T FORGET ME!"

"ZACK!"

"CODY!"

The sound of tires squealing on the ground cut off Zack's cry. He broke away from his mom and ran up the stairs to his room. He looked out the window just in time to see his father's car roar off into the distance. He slowly sank to his knees and continued to cry. His was alone in the world. He didn't have his brother. He was….alone…


	2. Goin' West: California or Bust!

Ch.2-Goin' West: California or Bust!

Whimpering, Cody wipped his eyes as his dad slammed the trunk of his car shut. He sat in the passanger seat next to his father's car and he looked back twoards the house. Kurt and Cod stayed at a motel for the night and came back the next morning for their things. Zack and Carey stood on the porch, looking back at him. Cody waved but dropped his hand in fear when Kurt got into the car and glared at him. Without a word to his wife or his other son, he started to car and drove off.

Cody looked at his father out of the corner of his eye. Kurt's jaw was clentched and his features were set in stone. Cody sighed and looked out his window. _'Never again. Never again will I see Zack or mommy. Never again will I play with my friends at the park or hang out with them at school. My life is now empty,'_ he thought to himself as Kurt turned onto the highway.

-------------------------

"Mom! How could you just let Cody leave like that? How could you?" Zack shrieked as Carey slumped onto the sofa.

"How could I? Easy! I lost him in a court case!" She replied.

"What?" Zack asked, slowly calming down.

"While you guys went out, Kurt and I went to court. He…was a drug addict and a alchoholic. He would've end up hurting you if I didn't do anything. I knew that for sure. Once we got divorced, my lawyer said that he was entitled to one of you. I kept you. Kurt got Cody," Carey explained.

"But you know he is ultra-sensitive! How could youlet _him_ take Cody?" Zack's anger flared back up.

"I had no choice. I'm sorry," Carey whispered.

-------------------------

"You'll love Los Angeles. Trust me. Our new house is big and you can finally have your own room," Kurt said to Cody, trying to create small talk.

"I liked sharing a room," Cody said in a small voice.

"Well, now you can make friends of your own. Who knows, maybe you'll become poular."

"I don't want to be popular. I just want to be liked for being me."

"You won't be compared to Zack."

"I didn't mind so much."

"You won't have to have Zack protect you anyore."

"…I liked always having him there for me."

Kurt growled angirly as Cody flinched. Kurt kept his eyes glued to the road as he gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands; his knuckles turing white. Cody looked out the window as he trembled with fear inside.

"You have to learn to stick up for yourself sometime. You can't just go around depending on your brother and crying all of the time. You have to be tough sometimes!" Kurt said in a soft voice. Cody didn't respond. He just watched the signs, trees, birds, and cars go past his window. "And I want you to go out for some sports."

"Are you crazy?" Cody cried out, the immediately regretted it. Kurt shot him an evil glare and he looked down, trying to avoid his father's eyes.

"As I said, you should try out for sports. I think you should keep on playing basketball though. You might actually play this time. Do you understand me?"

Cody stayed silent as he bit his lip in nervousness. Kurt brought back his right hand and slapped Cody on the cheek. Instant tears sprang to his eyes as he rubbed his sore and red cheek.

"I said, do you understand me?" Kurt raored.

"Y-yes sir," Cody muttered as he continued to rub his cheek.

They kept riding in silence. He fell alsleep a while into the drive and kurt loked over at his sleeping son. _'This was a good idea. I can finally spend more time with my son. He'll learn to love me more. I know he will. It might take a while, but he'll come around,'_ Kurt thought to himself as he drove and watched the sun dip low in the sky.

He reached over and softly stroked his son's still red cheek. His son flinched under his father's touch. He continued to tremble even when his father moved his hand away. IN his dreams, Cody's father seemed to be everywhere he was. And he always seemed to be anry at him for some reason.

No matter how fast Cody ran or how far he went to get away from him, Kurt was always there. He was always there to hurt him. If he shed a tear Kurt would hurt him. If he said something wrong, he got slapped. If he was late for something, he would get hit. And the pain never seemed to fade away. The redness never seemed to fade. The swelling never wnet down.

People always tried to help him. Whenever they went out, he tried to get people to see how bad of a man Kurt really was. He faked being nice though. He always faked it. He always faked how nice he was to his son.

Always faked it.

Always…

Cody awoke with a start. He looked aroundin confusion and noticed that he was at a gas station. He climbed out of the car and went inside. He went to the bathroom and washedhis hands. After he came out, he spied a pay phone. Making sure his father was no where in sight, he called his home. It was answered on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Zack? Is that you?" He whispered. Even though Kurt was outside, he didn't want his father to hear it.

"Cody?"

"Yeah."

"I'm glad to hear from you! Are you ok?"

"Yes…No…Not really."

"…What'd he do to you?"

"He(_snif_)…he hits me, Zack!"

"No way!"

"Yes way! He slaps me! He really scares me Zack! He's changed!"

"I know. I know. I wish I could help."

"I wish you were here, Zack."

"I know Cody."

"Zack. I need to tell you something. It's dad! He-"

Cody was silenced but a hard hit to the back of his head. The phone fell out of his grasp and hung on the cord. He whirled aorund to face Kurt with wide eyes. Kurt glared down at him. He looked at the phone and said clamly, "Let's go."

Cody whimpered as he reached for the phone and put it on the hook.He then grabbed Cody by his upper amr and dragged him out of the store. He cried the whole way t the car. He wanted Zack to be there badly.

'_Zack…'_

------------------

_Ring! Ring!_

_Ring! Ri-_

"Hello?" Zack asked once he picked up the phone on the second ring.

"Zack? Is that you?" A voice whispred. Zack could recognize it immediately.

"Cody?"

"Yeah."

"I'm glad to hear from you! Are you ok?"

"Yes…No…Not really."

Zack could immedialty tell that something was wrong with his little brother.

"…What'd he do to you?"

"He(_snif_)…he hits me, Zack!"

"No way!"

"Yes way! He slaps me! He really scares me Zack! He's changed!"

"I know. I know. I wish I could help."

"I wish you were here, Zack."

"I know Cody."

"Zack. I need to tell you something. It's dad! He-"

Zack heard a loud _slap_ on the other line and stayed quiet. He knew that Kurt was there. He knew what he did to Cody. Anger bubbled up inside him as he clenched the phone tightly in his hand. He heard Kurt say in a calm voice, "let's go." He knew that he was faking it. Zack could tell by the tone. He heard Cody starting to whimper before the line wnet dead. He slowly hung up the phone, closed his eyes, and cried.

'_Cody…'_


	3. Tea or Coffee? First Day in Boston!

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is short!**

Ch.3-Tea or Coffee? First Day in Boston

"Zack. Zack honey wake up. We're here," Carey said as he shook his son.

"Here where?" Zack muttered sleepily as he sat up from his car seat and looked out the window only to squint.

"Boston Massachusetts. This is where my new job is. We'll be living in a hotel called the Tipton because I'm the new headlining singer for the lounge."

Zack gasped as he looked up at the hotel. It was so tall. Feeling excited, he rushed in and his mouth dropped open. The lobby was huge! And there was even a candy counter! Smiling for once in a long while, he rushed over to the Candy Counter and left the bags to his mother to get.

A blonde girl was standing with her back to Zack. Once she turned around Zack was at a loss for words. The girl was the most hottest girl he has ever seen. He couldn't stop stairing at her. It was if she was angelic.

"I said, are you ok little boy?" the girl asked, interrupting Zack's thoughts.

"Uh. Yeah! I'd like some Skittles and Snickers. By the way, I'm Zack Martin, sweet thang!" He said as he put money on the counter.

"Maddie Fitzpatrick, and don't call me sweet thang little boy!" Maddie said as she smirked. "Where'd you come from? I haven't seen you around here before."

"I moved from Kentucky. My parents just got divorced."

"I'm sorry lit-Zack. Here, have this candy for free. It's on the house, but only because I feel sorry for you," Maddie said as he gave him the candy he asked for. His eyes widened in delight as he took it from her.

"Thanks babe! Catch you later!" Zack said with a wink. He saw his mom go into the elevator and he joined her.

"Who was that girl?" Carey asked as the door closed.

"Oh, that's Maddie. She works at the Candy Counter. She's really nice and oh-so fine!" Zack replied.

"Oh-so what?"

"Nice?"

"That's what I thought you said."

"HOLY COW!" Zack yelled once he entered their suite. He ran into a bedroom and started, to jump up and down on it. He landed on the floor and looked out the window to see how high up they were. He looked down at the busy streets in fascination.

"This is so cool! Wait until Cody-"A feeling of sorrow suddenly washed over Zack as he looked around the room. His room. Not his and Cody's room anymore. His room. He hated how empty it would be once he got all of his things inside of it.

"I'm going to the park," he muttered as he picked up hi skateboard and walked back out into the living room/kitchen.

"Ok honey, but don't stay out too long. I'm going to need help moving this stuff in," Carey said as he shut the door. He glumly rode the elevator back down to the lobby and left the Tipton. He skateboarded to the park and looked around. There was a huge tree that some people were climbing on; other little kids were running around. At one end of the park two girls and one guy were skateboarding so Zack boarded up to them.

"Hi. I'm Zack," He introduced himself.

"I'm Kuro. That's Max and Tapeworm," the girl with black hair and icy blue eyes said as she jerked her head in their direction.

"What kind of name is that?" Zack questioned.

"The kind you get when you eat twenty hotdogs in two minutes," Max replied with a smile.

"You a new kid?" Tapeworm asked.

"Tea or coffee?" Kuro suddenly asked.

"What?" Zack asked confused.

"Tea or coffee?" Max repeated.

"Coffee?" Zack responded, unsure.

"He's new," Kuro confirmed.

"How'd you figure that out?"

"If someone was from Boston they would respond tea because Boston is famous for the Boston Tea Party event that happened years ago. Anyone who isn't from Boston would pick coffee. Where're you from?"

"Kentucky."

"Dude! That far? Why're you here?"

"My mom is the new singer at that huge hotel."

"The Tipton?" Max asked.

"Yeah that's the one," Zack replied with a nod. "And my parents just got divorced. I came with my mom while Cody went with my dad to California."

"Who's Cody/" Tapeworm asked.

"My twin brother. He's smart, kind of geeky, but kind of cool too. You would have like him." Zack replied in a soft, distant voice. _'But not as much as I miss him.'_


	4. Help Me, Zack! First Day in LA!

Ch.4-Help Me, Zack! First Day in LA!

"This is our house?" Cody asked in amazement as Kurt parked into a driveway and looked up at the house. The outside was big; the house was painted white and the door along with the window shutters were dark blue. Right above the door were double doors that opened to step on the balcony above the door way. Two chairs were placed up there along with a table and an umbrella.

Cody got out of the truck and raced into the house. He gasped when he looked inside. On the left was a huge open space, he guessed it was a living room. Straight ahead of him was the kitchen. On the left was another huge room that had a piano in the middle of it. The stairs were a little bit past the room on the left and curved up into a balcony with then stretched to the end of the hall.

He ran through the kitchen and looked left where there was another large room. In the middle were more double doors which opened to a huge pool in the backyard along with a diving board, a Jacuzzi, and a water fall. There was this tropical cabana and the best part was that there were water chairs right next to it so people could eat or drink at the bar while they were still in the pool.

Deck chairs surrounded the pool along with tables with umbrellas next to it. He ran back inside and up the stairs to look at all of the rooms. There was a master bedroom for his father, a blue bedroom which will be his and he had three other guest rooms. He then went down into the huge basement/ laundry room. He ran back upstairs and smiled for the first time in a while.

"I love it!" He exclaimed happily.

------------------------------------------------

"Cody. Get up," Kurt said gently as he shook his son the next morning.

"Hmm? Why?" Cody muttered as he sat up sleepily and rubbed his tired eyes to get a good look at his father.

"You start school today. At Trinity Middle School."

"Oh. Ok. I'll be down in a minute," he replied as he got out of bed and entered his bathroom. He splashed water onto his face to wake himself up then walked back to his room to change clothes. He wore a green collared t-shirt with a single yellow stripe in the middle, brown baggy shorts, and black converses. He brushed his blond hair until it lay right. He grabbed his backpack and made his way downstairs into the kitchen.

His father sat eating a bagel and reading the newspaper. He just got a piece of toast and was getting orange juice when he accidentally dropped the glass cup and it shattered on the floor. He quickly picked up the pieces and got himself a plastic cup this time. He drank it quickly and started his toast. His father looked at the clock and announced that it was time to leave for school.

The car ride there was silent. Cody looked into the side-view mirror and glanced at his cheek. It wasn't red anymore from…what day was it? Cody couldn't remember because of the time change. Worst of all he couldn't remember when it was going to be his birthday either. He has to wait for someone to call him to remember, that was the worst part.

"I'll pick you up after school then I'll drop you off at home. I have to practice for my gig, all right?" Kurt asked as he got out of the car.

"Ok dad," he replied in a small voice as he closed the car door. As it sped off he looked up at the big school.

**Cody's POV-**

A lot of kids were running around or sitting in groups or playing games before school started. The only thing that wasn't crowded that much was the steps, so I made my way there to read. I got bumped by a lot of people as I made my way there.

One guy shoved me so hard I lost my balance and fell to the ground onto my stomach. A lot of kids laughed as I blushed and stood. I picked up my bag and looked around in embarrassment. One girl caught my eye. She wasn't laughing at me like the people who were sitting around her. Once my eyes locked with hers she gave a small smile and nodded her head slightly. I smiled a little back and made my way to the stairs.

I sat down and sighed. I turned to my left and made a face. A boy and a girl were entangled, kissing each other like crazy. I shuddered as I leaned back onto my elbows and closed my eyes letting my head tilt back so the sunlight warmed my face.

'It's my first day of school Zack. I know I'm going to need your help to get through this!' I thought sadly as I opened my eyes and glanced at the blue sky.

-----------------------------------------------

**I woke up it was 7  
I waited till 11  
just to figure out that no one would call  
I think i got a lot of friends but I don't hear from them  
What's another night all alone?  
When your spending everyday on your own  
and here it goes  
**

I sighed each time class was over. It wasn't as much fun without Zack there. He always made a scene that annoyed me and made him laugh. Usually he'd show up late and distract the class by making a lot of noise or he'd shoot spitballs at the teachers. I missed it all now.

**  
I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare  
I'm just a kid, I know that its not fair  
Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is   
having more fun than me tonight**

As I left his math class room the halls suddenly filled with a lot of people. I got shoved around in the tide and fell onto my side. Either no one noticed me or they did but I got stepped on and kicked painfully.****

And maybe when the night is dead, I'll crawl into my bed  
I'm staring at these 4 walls again  
I'll try to think about the last time, I had a good time  
Everyone's got somewhere to go  
And they're gonna leave me here on my own  
and here it goes  


I slowly picked up my things and looked around the now empty halls. A bruise was forming on my arm. I lightly touched it and I winced in pain as I stood. I was all turned aroundI had no clue where a classroom was. I asked a teacher and once he got there I was late.

**  
I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare  
I'm just a kid, I know that its not fair  
Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is   
having more fun than me  
**

After lunch I made my way to the activities field for open gym. I accidentally crashed into solidly built kid. I looked up and noticed that he had an ugly sneer on his face. I was going to say something, but refused to open my mouth.

"Watch it kid!"

"Watch what? You fail your classes?"

I don't know what came over me but he seemed like the type of people who would fail all of his classes. Unfortunately I was right.

"You'll pay for this later!"

**  
What the hell is wrong with me?  
don't fit in with anybody  
How did this happen to me?  
Wide awake I'm bored and I can't fall asleep   
and every night is the worst night ever  
**

Sighing, I looked up from my position on the ground. Sitting on a wall the girl from before was glaring at the boy as he walked off. He looked at me and shook her head slightly and went to talk with the rest of her friends.

**  
I'm just a kid  
I'm just a kid  
I'm Just a kid (I'm just a kid)  
Yeah, I'm just a kid (I'm just a kid, I'm just a kid)  
Yeah, I'm just a kid (I'm just a kid, I'm just a kid)**

I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare  
I'm just a kid, I know that its not fair  
Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is  
nobody wants to be alone in the world  


Everything got worse when school was over. As I walked down the empty hallway from my locker, the bully, Derrik, came up with a group of his friends. Derrik held my hands while everyone else beat me up. Pain exploded through my body as they landed every punch and every kick.

'_Help me Zack!' _I thought as I cried.

**  
I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare  
I'm just a kid, I know that its not fair  
Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is   
nobody wants to be alone in the world  
Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is  
having more fun than me tonight  
**

Suddenly all of the pain stopped as the boys let go of him and ran away. I fell to the cool floor and curled up in a ball, trying not to move as much as possible because it was too painful.

**  
I'm all alone tonight  
Nobody cares tonight  
Cause I'm just a kid tonight**


	5. When Pain Is All You Feel

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is short. Oh, and in my Never A Dull Moment fic, the school goes by Lower: PK-6, Middle: 7-9, and Upper: 10-12!**

Ch.5-When Pain Is All You Feel

_Everything got worse when school was over. As I walked down the empty hallway from my locker, the bully, Derrik, came up with a group of his friends. Derrik held my hands while everyone else beat me up. Pain exploded through my body as they landed every punch and every kick._

'_Help me Zack!'_

_Suddenly all of the pain stopped as the boys let go of him and ran away. I fell to the cool floor and curled up in a ball, trying not to move as much as possible because it was too painful…_

"CODY!" Zack yelled as he sat up panting heavily. He blinked in confusion and looked around his room. Cody wasn't there.

Because he was in Los Angeles and he was in Boston.

Alone.

He looked at the clock and it read 11:45. He thought of the dream as he got up and went into the kitchen for a drink of water. It seemed so real to him and it was like he was standing there, he knew every spot where Cody got hurt.

Curious, Zack prodded a spot on his arm and bit his lip so he wouldn't scream in pain. It was too weird. Where ever he poked or squeezed where Cody got hurt, he could feel the pain. It was like he was connected to Cody in a different way now.

As he turned back around to go into his room he spied his mom's laptop open at the kitchen table. Taking one glance at his mom's room he sat down behind it and went straight to Google to search a way to find where someone is in another state without even knowing where the person is at all.

It was four o'clock in the morning when he decided to give up on the search when something appeared on the screen. It was an AIM window. The message was from someone named CurlyBlackLocks34.

**CurlyBlackLocks34: **Is this Zack?

Zack stared at the computer screen as his heart raced because of hope, shock, and confusion. Using his mother's screen name, LoungeSinger411, he responded cautiously.

**LoungeSinger411:** Cody?

**CurlyBlackLocks34:** Yeah. I'm glad you're awake.

**LoungeSinger411:** Couldn't help it. I had this strange dream.

**CurlyBlackLocks34:** About?

**LoungeSinger411:** You. Getting beat up in this hallway. It was weird. Once I woke up I poked and squeezed the places you got hurt and pain shot through my body.

**CurlyBlackLocks34:** …….

**LoungeSinger411:** Cody?

**CurlyBlackLocks34 has signed off.**

'_That was weird. I wonder why he just signed off like that. And he didn't say anything about my dream. Was it a dream?' _Zack thought to himself as he also signed off and made his way back to his room, only to slap himself mentally. _'I don't know my mom's password! Oh well, as long as I got to talk to Cody for a little bit and know that he's ok.' _He climbed into bed sleepily and once his had hit the pillow he fell into a deep sleep.

He was woken up a few hours later but it seemed like five minutes to Zack. He sleepily got out of bed and got ready for his first day of school at Revolution Middle School. He brushed his hair, brushed his teeth, pulled on his clothes, and ate breakfast quietly.

He slowly made his way out of the Tipton and onto the bus that would take him to his school. All of the kids on the bus stared at him as he got on and they fell silent. Movements made him look up and notice the girl, Max, from yesterday motioning him towards the back. He dropped onto the seat next to Max and Kuro; Tapeworm sat next to Kuro on the other side.

"Hey guys," he greeted them with a yawn.

"Why so tired?" Kuro questioned as she handed him a bottle of Coca-Cola.

"I was up at four Aiming my twin," he replied as he took a sip of the Coca-Cola.

"I thought you two didn't have any means of communication."

"We didn't. Then we did and now we don't again because I don't know my mom's AIM name."

"Sorry about that. But, I know for a fact, school will cheer you up."

"How?"

"Just wait and see!"

---------------------------------------

"Dude! Our math teacher talks like she's eating something all of the time!" Zack left as he and Max left their first period math class.

"I know. We all call her the Mumblemouth because it sounds like she's mumbling." Max agreed.

"Cody would think that was funny."

"No offense dude, but you need to take your mind off of your brother for a little bit."

"How? He's my twin! I see him when I look in the mirror!"

"Martin, you need to lighten up. Meet me at my locker at lunch, and if you use 'I couldn't find it' as an excuse, even though my locker is next to yours, I'll hunt you down and force you to go where I'm taking you!"

"Ok! Ok! I get it! I'll be there!"

"Good! Later!"

'_Man Cody, if you ever meet a girl like Max…good luck!'_

Zack suddenly screamed in pain as pain flowed through his body. He dropped to his knees and panted heavily as it subsided. The only thing he felt now is pain.

_'What's going on here?'_


	6. Meeting the Gang

Ch.6-Meeting the Gang

Cody tried to avoid Derek and his gang for the next couple of days. The strange thing was, every time he got bullied by Derek, that girl with the blue eyes always seemed to be there. Now he was trying to hang low and trying to support his scratches and bruises.

"Hey kid!" A voice called out. Cody turned around but kept his head bent slightly so his hair would cover part of his shiner. He was amazed to see it was the girl from before.

"Yeah?" He questioned.

"You can't just let Derek and his crew continue beating you up like that. I've been watching you for the past few days and, no offense, but you're a wimp."

"I know that all ready."

"So me and the guys are going to help you."

Cody was about to correct her grammar but stopped herself. He needed all of the help he could get. And so far, she was the only one offering it, so he had to take the opportunity.

"How?"

"I'll explain that later. At lunch, go wait by the tall tree in the schoolyard. We'll meet you there."

"Ok. Wait, what's your name?"

"It's Crystal, but people call me C.J."

"I'm Cody."

"Try and stay out of trouble today," she said as she playfully slapped him on the shoulder and walked down the hallway.

"I will," he said after her as she turned a corner. "Owwwwwww," he groaned as he grabbed his shoulder.

---------------------------------------------

Leaning against the tree, everything around Cody was silent. A little too silent. Zack would be screaming for him to help get down out of the tree. A smile slowly crossed his face as he thought about the one time when they were seven, Zack got stuck ina tree until night fall.

"Daydreaming?"

Cody opened his eyes and was staring at Crystal; a smile tugged at her lips.

"Kind of," he replied as he pushed away from the tree and stood, noticing the other boys and girls around him.

"Cody this is Sean, Ty, Liam, Jake, Mel, Riley, and Miley," Crystal introduced them as she pointed to each person.

"We heard you were having a bully problem," Sean stated. " There's three steps to getting Derek to stop…if you're lucky."

"Clothes, Attitude, and-" Mel continued.

"Dumbosity?" Jake guessed.

"No, Jake, that's if someone wants to dress up like you for Halloween," Crystal said slowly. "We'll worry about the last one later. Let's hit the mall after school."

"Ok," Cody agreed.

---------------------------------------

The mall in California was huge. They made their way to the store Hot Topic. Mel, being the fashion guru of the group, picked out all of Cody's clothes and made him try them on. She paid for the clothes that he liked and they made their way to a store called Tattoos 'n' Things.

"No way! There's no way I'm getting a tattoo!" Cody exclaimed as he tried to run out of the store but Jake shoved him inside.

"Calm down, Codeman," Jake groaned as he pushed him up to a man that had a lot of tattoos on his arms. "Hey Luc, this is Cody. He needs a beginner."

"A beginner, eh? Luc questioned. "Name or picture?"

"Name."

"Color?"

"Hmm…blue."

"Size?"

"Medium."

"Ok kid, sit over there." Paling, Cody sat on a stool and lifted the sleeve of his polo shirt on his left arm. He relaxed once he realized that the tattoo could come off with soap and water. He had to admit, it looked pretty cool. As he got down he looked at the clock and practically screamed.

"Oh no! I didn't call my dad to tell him I'll be home late! He's going to kill me!" He exclaimed.

"Chill, dude. You can catch a ride with me. Later guys," Ty said over his shoulder as he picked up Cody's bags and they ran out of the mall. They hopped into Ty's, mom's car and rode off towards Cody's house; Cody giving the directions. He gathered his bags and got out of the car, saying bye to Ty.

Once he stepped on the porch, using one hand, he dug in his pockets for his house key. The door suddenly opened and he and the bags were pulled inside. He dropped the bags as a fist connected with his face and he fell over.

"You're late!"


	7. Drew

Ch.7-Drew

"You got all mad at me just to take me to the park to play basketball?" Zack questioned in disbelief as Max tossed him the basketball and crouched down and waited.

"Yup. You need to get your mind off of your brother. Basketball is the only way to do it at Revolution Middle. So, you ready to go against me?" She asked impatiently.

"Yeah. But don't cry when you lose," Zack responded with a cocky grin.

'_You'll be the one crying when I'm through with you, Zackary Martin. I'll make sure of that!'_ Max thought to herself as she set a look of determination on her face.

Zack started to dribble the ball and walk towards Max. She kept her eyes glued to his hand as she watched the ball bounce up and down. Zack faked right and went around her right side. Max anticipated it and sprinted after him. She reached forward and bounced the ball backwards. Zack stared in bewilderment then started to chase after her as she dribbled backwards.

She stopped and, using one hand, shot the ball behind herself, smirking. It went through the basket with a swish. Zack's mouth dropped open as she strutted past him.

"Zack: nothing. Max: 2," she announced as she pushed his shoulder, turned, and crouched down again.

"I just let you get that one in," he said as he grabbed the ball and dribbled towards her.

"So you say!"

Max and Zack played basketball of the next thirty minutes; they were so evenly matched the score was tied at 50-50. Kuro and Tapeworm came in the middle of their game and watched. Tapeworm cheered for Zack while Kuro cheered for Max. It was the last play when it happened.

Another basketball came shooting towards the one Zack shot at the basket and they bounced off each other and flew into two different directions. Max cried out angrily and turned. A black boy and four other boys strutted onto the court up to Zack and Max.

"Hey Max. Who're you?" The boy greeted them.

"What do you want Drew?" Max demanded as she crossed her arms.

"To play some basketball. Clear the court!"

"No way! We were here first!"

"You have a problem?" Kuro demanded as she walked right up to Drew so they were nose to nose.

"No problem here. Just want to play some basketball but they're in my way," he muttered his reply. He was scared of Kuro because she was so intimidating.

"They were here first! Let them use the court then you can!"

"How about we play a game for it?"

"I'm listening."

"We play 3-on-3. Winner gets to use the court. Loser has to leave. Deal?"

"Deal! First to 35 wins!" Kuro said as she picked up the basketball and threw it over her head. It sailed across the court and landed in the basket. "We're winning. You might want to catch up. Zack! Max! Hurry!"

Zack and Max sprinted across the court, Drew and two of his friends followed; Kuro stayed where she was. Drew was about to get the ball but Max snagged it from him and tossed it to Kuro. She aimed and shot the ball from where she was and it landed in the basket again.

"Six points!" She called as Zack got the ball. Drew shoved him to the ground and picked it up and started to dribble. Kuro waited for him to pass her and she stuck out her foot. He fell onto her face and she got the ball.

"So you want to play that way?" Drew demanded.

"Yep," was all Kuro said as she spun the ball on her finger. Drew dove for it but she rolled it across her shoulders and tossed it to Zack. He dodged one of Drew's teammates and took a shot. It bounced off the rim but Max tipped it back in.

They were playing really well, although Drew's team caught up. They only had time for one play and the score was tied 32-32. Kuro told Max and Zack what to do in a hurry as she watched Drew out of the corner of her eye.

"Ok…NOW!" She suddenly yelled as she ran towards the hoop.

Zack and Max ran at Drew who was dribbling the ball. Max stomped hard on his foot and he screamed in pain. Just like she wanted him to do, He threw the ball to one of his teammates who was at the hoop. Kuro grabbed the wrist that the ball was in and twisted it hard. He screamed and dropped the ball. Kuro then kicked it hard across the court. Max caught it and threw it at Drew's face. He ducked and Zack came from behind with it. The only player on Drew's team that wasn't hurt made his way towards zack…Max was quicker. She stuck out her foot and tripped him. Zack stepped on his back to get the right height and tossed the ball.

It seemed to sail slowly towards the hoop. Once it reached it…it went into the basket!

"Yes!" Max cheered. Zack high-fived her and Kuro, grinning from ear to ear. He then picked up Drew's basketball and tossed it towards him. But, Drew wasn't ready, so he got hi in the nose and it started to bleed.

"You're a dead man!" He growled as he walked off.

"Should I be scared/" Zack asked.

"No. Why?"

"Because I am."


	8. The Call

Ch.8-The Call

Cody and Kurt ate their dinner in silence that night. Cody kept his head bowed so he didn't have to look at his father. He kept glancing at him through his bangs, only to quickly look back down again. He sighed heavily as the silence stretched on. No crickets would chirp; it was too silent. It started to get on Kurt's nerves and Cody could tell. Kurt finally couldn't take it anymore.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" He roared, causing Cody to shriek a little and drop his fork.

"W-w-w-what are you talking about?" He whispered in a voice full of fear.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT YOU GOT BEAT UP IN SCHOOL RECENTLY?"

"I didn't want you to know. It wouldn't have made a difference. People pick on me all of the ti-"

"SHUT UP! I DIDN'T RAISE A BOY TO GROW UP AND BECOME A WIMP! YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

Cody stared at his father with fear-filled blue eyes. When he didn't answer, Kurt reached across the table, grabbed a hunk of Cody's hair, and pulled up. Instant tears came to Cody's eyes as he tried to get his father to let go. He whimpered when he saw the fury in his father's eyes. He was suddenly slapped across the cheek and thrown backwards. His chair tilted backwards and he hit his head hard against the linoleum.

Silence stretched once again as they stared at each other. The only thing that interrupted the silence was the telephone ringing. Kurt gave Cody one last glare and turned away to pick up the phone. Cody rubbed his red cheek and wiped away his tears as he answered the phone.

"Hello?"

Cody noted the reaction that was on Kurt's face; it turned from pure anger to suspicion.

"Why, hello Carey. What do you need? Mhm. Yeah, he's right here. Cody, it's your mother!"

Cody shakily stood and made his way over to the phone. He held out his hand but Kurt jerked it away and covered the mouth piece and hissed, "If you say anything, _anything_ at all, I'll have to hurt you worse!" Cody nodded silently and took the phone.

"Mommy?" He asked in a shocked voice.

"Hi baby. How're you doing?" Carey asked.

"I'm great! My school is really cool and they have a Decathlon club…I miss Zack though. Is he there?"

"No. He's not here right now. He's out playing basketball with some friends."

"Oh…he all ready made fiends?" Cody asked in a small voice. It wasn't surprising. Zack was the popular one out of the twins. He always made friends first because he was loud and outgoing; Cody was quiet and shy. He eventually made friends with the friends that Zack made first, but it was only because they felt sorry for him. But not the Douglasses.

"Yeah. On the first day we moved here. He met this girl named Maddie, who's also his baby-sitter, and three other friends named Max, Tapeworm, and Kuro."

"What kind of names are Tapeworm and Kuro? And is Max a guy or girl?"

"Tapeworm's real name is Brian, Kuro's is Maria. And Max is short for Maxine."

"He actually made friends that are girls his age and haven't tried to hit on them. That's shocking," Cody said more to himself than to Carey. Then he asked the question that was bugging him. "Why'd you call?"

"I wanted to say…Happy Birthday."

"I'm thirteen? I honestly wouldn't have known. The time difference has gotten me messed up," he said in astonishment as he glanced at the kitchen clock. He suddenly heard a door close in the background and a different voice came on.

"Cody?"

"ZACK!"

"CODY!"

"It's great to hear from you! I have a lot to tell you about!"

"Me too! Do you have a place to go in private?"

Cody glanced over his shoulder at Kurt, who was now downing a beer and reaching for another one. Fear filled his chest as he expected what was going to happen later that night. "Yeah, but I can't stay on long." His voice came out shaky as he quickly made his way up to his room and into the closet.

"Why'd you sign-off of AIM when I was talking to you?" Zack asked immediately as he backed himself into his room and closed and locked the door.

"Huh?"

"When you were on AIM this morning. You suddenly signed-off. Why?"

"Zack…I'm not allowed on the computer," Cody whispered.

"Then…who was it I talked to?" Zack asked back in a whisper. It suddenly clicked in Cody's head.

"Dad! It had to be him. He yelled at me for not telling him I got beat up and-" Cody suddenly stopped. It was too painful to speak of.

"He hit you again, didn't he?" It was as if Zack could read his younger brother's mind.

"Yeah," Cody whispered.

"You have to tell someone, Cody!"

"I can't! Where will I go? I may have to live with Grandma! You know what she did to your milk! She dropped her teeth in it! I can't risk it….I'll stay with dad. No matter how hard he hits me."

"…Cody?"

"Yeah?"

"You're the bravest kid I ever met."

"That means a lot to me, Zack. You can't tell mom either!"

"I won't…So, do you have a screen name on the computer?"

"Yeah. It's SmartTwin13."

"Waoh. Our twin telepathy thing must work far away too! Mine's HotTwin13!"

"I can only go on the weekends, when dad's not home. Do you have a cell?"

"Yeah. Mom got me one today. What's your number?"

"540-345-2263. Yours?"

"540-239-6744. Did you get anything else for you birthday?"

"..I didn't get anything." Cody whispered as fresh tears fell down his cheeks.

"Dad didn't get you anything?" Zack asked in disbelief.

"Nothing?" Zack asked in a soft voice.

"Nothing."

"…I'll get you something then. What do you want?"

"Zack, what I want…you won't be able to give me without mom noticing."

"What do you want?"

"…I want you here with me."

"…Cody, I may not be with you physically…but I'm with you spiritually. I'll always be by your side."

"Thanks Zack. I wish I had your courage to stand up to dad and-" Cody sniffed. A loud bang cut off his sentence.

"CODY! OPEN THIS DOOR!"

"Zack! He's here! He's going to hurt me again!" Cody wailed into the phone as he backed up to his wall in his closet and held his knees up to his chest. "Zack, I need you!"

"It'll be ok Cody! I'll know what you're going through!"

"How?" He shrieked as the door continued to be pummeled.

"Our twin telepathy! When ever you get hurt I feel it! I'm right here with you! Ok?"

"Ok," Cody whispered as tears continued to fall down his face.

Cody's door suddenly banged open. He screamed as he dropped the phone. He quickly picked it up as the closet door was pulled open. Before he could say anything, He was dragged out by his hair. He shrieked in pain, his shriek turning into a scream when Kurt kicked him in the side. He lifted his arms, the phone still in his hands, and covered his face and tried to curl up in a ball. Kurt undid his belt and slapped Cody again and again with it. He slapped him on his arms to make him move them. Crying hysterically, Cody finally lowered his arms and Kurt punched him in the face. He then aimed a swift kick to it, causing his nose to bleed. He choked out a cry when he got kicked in the back of the head. Darkness swam before him and the pain started to numb out as he slipped into unconsciousness. He felt a couple more kicks and punches hitting his body before he fell unconscious. Kurt calmly took the phone out of his hands and hung it up.

-----

"Thanks Zack. I wish I had your courage to stand up to dad and-"Cody sniffed. A loud bang cut off his sentence.

"CODY! OPEN THIS DOOR!"

"Zack! He's here! He's going to hurt me again!" Cody wailed into the phone. "Zack, I need you!"

"It'll be ok Cody! I'll know what you're going through!" Zack shouted desperately into the phone.

"How?"

"Our twin telepathy! When ever you get hurt I feel it! I'm right here with you! Ok?"

"Ok."

Zack suddenly heard a door bang open and he heard his brother's cry perfectly through the phone. He gripped it tighter as tears for his brother, and tears for himself, fell down his cheeks. He knew the pain would come soon and he braced himself for it. Zack started to sob when he heard his father beating his brother and he heard his brother's helpless screams. It took a lot of him to cry, and this was too much for him.

"CODY! I'M HERE CODY! I'LL ALWAYS BE HERE!" Zack screamed into the phone. He suddenly heard silence. "Cody?" He whispered.

His answer was the phone line buzzing…


	9. A Mother's Suspicion, A Brother's Plan

Ch.9-A Mother's Suspicion, A Brother's Plan!

"DAMN HIM!" Zack yelled frustrated as he gripped his hair as if he was going to pull it out. Carey's voice was heard on the other side of the door way. Zack quickly hung up the phone and opened the door. Carey came rushing in with a look of shock on her face.

"What's wrong? Why were you screaming Cody's name?" She demanded.

"Uh…no reason! He was…breaking up. I couldn't hear him that well. That's all."

Carey gave him a suspicious look and left the room. He sighed and made his way over to his laptop. He turned it on and logged onto AIM. He typed in HotTwin13 and his password. HipHopGurl12, Max, was logged on. So was BlackFoot10, Kuro, and WormBoyWonder, Tapeworm.

**HotTwin13**: Guys! You won't believe what I just heard!

**HipHopGurl12**: What is it?

**HotTwin13**: I called my brother yesterday and…I heard him getting abused through the phone.

**BlackFoot10**: You have to report that!

**HotTwin13**: I can't! Cody said not to tell anyone!

**WormBoyWonder**: But he could get seriously hurt. Or…

**HotTwin13**: OR WHAT?

**HipHopGurl12**: Killed

**HotTwin13**: That won't happen to my brother! He's strong. He'll pull through…I hope.

**BlackFoot10**: So what're you going to do about it?

**HotTwin13**: I actually have a plan. I'm going to need your help though.

**HipHopGurl12**: I'm in!

**BlackFoot10**: Same!

**HotTwin13**: Tape?

**WormBoyWonder**: We could get into trouble

**HotTwin13**: Trouble's my middle name! Are you in or what?

**WormBoyWonder**: I am too. But if I get into trouble-

**HotTwin13**: You'll what? Stab me with a compass? You won't get into trouble. Trust me!

**HipHopGurl12 & BlackFoot10**: I hate it when he says that!

**HotTwin13 has singed off.**

**HipHopGurl12 has singed off.**

**WormBoyWonder has singed off.**

**BlackFoot10 has signed off.**

**----------------------------------------------**

"Hey Maddie! I need you to do something for me," Zack said the next morning as he ran up to the Candy Counter.

"Is it to remind you that you still owe me four dollars and fifty cents from the candy you got?" She asked.

"I swear I'll pay you back when I get the money…after I stop blowing it off on candy. Please Maddie! This has to do with my twin!"

"What's wrong with him?"

"You have to promise you won't tell _anyone_!"

"I promise. I promise."

"My brother gets abused and now I have to find out a way to get him safe without my mom knowing. Now, I need you to keep a look out for Moseby while I use his phone!"

Before Maddie could say anything Zack ran across the room and dove over Mr. Moseby's desk. Once he was safely behind it he pulled down his phone and pulled a note out of his pocket. He dialed Cody's cell phone number and prayed that he would pick it up.

"Hi! This is Cody Martin speaking, finally a fourteen-year-old. You know what to do. _Beep_!" The voice message said before a beeping noise was heard.

"Hey Code. It's me. It tore me up how I could hear your screams through the phone and you know it takes a lot for me to cry. Anyway, my friends and I have a plan on how to get you safe. But, it has some sacrifices on your part. Unfortunately, if you get caught, dad will hit you worse than he does now, but I'll make sure that won't happen. What you need to do is get one of your closest friends to help you. You need to get dad's money or his whole wallet if you can get it. Then you need to take a bus. That's all I can say. You have to figure out the rest. One of my friends will help you. Stay strong!"

Hanging up the phone Zack put it back onto the table. His hand brushed someone else's and he froze. He slowly lifted his head and stared at a furious Mr. Moseby. Gulping, he stood up all the way and looked up at the manager.

"What're you doing behind my desk?" He demanded.

"Pretending…to be you. You're such a great person I want to be like you one day!" Zack quickly lied.

"Yeah…and my name is Michelle!" He said sarcastically as a guest walked by. He stopped and looked at hi strangely. "Oh, it was my mother's idea. She thought it was fitting for me. Nice name actually," he babbled as Zack quietly slipped away.

Maddie was so wrapped up in what Zack had told her that she didn't warn Zack when Mr. Moseby was coming. She was stilled wrapped in her thoughts when Carey came up to her.

"Why so thoughtful Maddie?" She asked in confusion.

"I was just thinking of what Zack told me," she replied absent mindedly.

"What did he tell you? He never talks to me," Carey said thoughtfully.

"He just told me about his plan to help-" she suddenly stopped herself when she realized who she was talking to.

"Help?"

"Help…me with work. Yeah, that's it. Help me with work. That's all. I gotta go to work now. You know, cuz that's my job," Maddie stammered as she ran off.

Carey shrugged and made her way back to her suite. She rode the elevator up to the 23rd floor and opened the door to suite 2330. She walked in and stopped once she heard her son's voice. She pressed her ear up against the door and listened hard.

"-yeah, I had to leave him a message. We move onto step two once he calls me back. Then I'll need to take your pictures. Yeah. Ok. See you later. Bye."

'_What's he talking about? Maybe this has to do with Cody. I know I made a mistake of making him live with Kurt, but I had to keep Zack or he wouldn't gone out of control. But now, I'm betting Cody's suffering. Or...maybe he's doing just fine. That has to be it. But, why do I think that something is happening between them that they don't want me to know about?' _Carey thought to her self as she sat on the couch, sighing in defeat. _'What have I done to my kids?'_


	10. Escape?

Ch.10-Escape?

Cody groaned as he woke up. Everything hurt. Ignoring the pain he slowly made his crawled to his bed and got on top. He sighed as he rested his head on his pillows. He reached over to his dresser and lifted his cell phone. A little light on it blinked, showing that he had a message. He flipped it open and pressed a button, the message played in his ear.

"_Hey Code. It's me. It tore me up how I could hear your screams through the phone and you know it takes a lot for me to cry. Anyway, my friends and I have a plan on how to get you safe. But, it has some sacrifices on your part. Unfortunately, if you get caught, dad will hit you worse than he does now, but I'll make sure that won't happen. What you need to do is get one of your closest friends to help you. You need to get dad's money or his whole wallet if you can get it. Then you need to take a bus. That's all I can say. You have to figure out the rest. One of my friends will help you. Stay strong!_"

"Way to go Zack. I knew you'd think of a plan to save me…which is strange for you because I'm usually the one who thinks of the plans. You figure out the names," Cody said to himself as he slowly rubbed his thumb over his cell phone, pondering who to call. Ty is really cool, Liam and Jake are funny and help stick up for me, Mel is…kind of weak, Riley and Miley are tough, but…not as tough as _her_. Crystal, or C.J. as she liked to be called, she was the one that wanted to help him first and she did befriend him first. He decided to call her. He pressed each number with his thumb and gritted his teeth as he slowly lifted his phone up to his ear.

"What up?" C.J. asked as she answered the phone; people's voices were in the background. He figured she was watching TV.

"Need…help," he managed to whisper into the phone.

"What's wrong Codeman?" She asked, suddenly alarmed. A pang of sorrow filled him once he heard her use a nickname for him. Zack was the only one who usually called him that. He hasn't heard it in a while and it made the pain seem to ease up a little.

"Plan…Zack has…to help."

"Your twin has a plan to help you? What is it? Do you need any help?"

"Help…yes," he muttered as he started to slip in and out of consciousness again.

"Stick with me, here. What is the plan?"

"Don't…know," he muttered in a faint voice before he fainted. His cell phone dropped out of his hand and clattered onto the floor. Outside his room Kurt had his ear pressed up against the door. His hands clenched into fists as he walked down the hall to his room. He picked up an empty beer bottle that sat on his dresser and threw it. It smashed against the wall and the pieces hit the ground.

'_That's what I'll do to you if you leave! I swear it!'_

------------------------------------

"Cody! What happened to you? Are you all right?" C.J. cried out in shock as she dropped next to his side the next afternoon. She dropped her backpack and stared at him. He was propped up in bed and he had a bandage tied around his head, along with his arms. He had bruises and scratches on his face and his hands.

"Abuse," he whispered through his sore lips.

"You'll get through it," she said reassuringly.

"How do you know?"

"I get abused too."

"But…I can't tell."

"That's because I can hide it well. You're not good on hiding things. Now, you said your brother has a plan?"

"Yeah."

"What's his cell phone number?"

Cody gave it to her and watched as she typed the numbers and waited for him to pick up. Once he did she started to talk to him about his plan. She put it on speaker phone so he could hear him. They talked about his part of the plan and C.J. and Cody thought about their part. She then took a picture of herself to send to him. He sent one back of a girl named Max that would be waiting for them. They put each other on speed dial just incase something in their plan went wrong. But it couldn't. They had everything planned out.

Nothing could go wrong…

-------------------------------------------

Cody sat as still as he could the rest of the day so he wouldn't feel any pain. C.J. had given him pain killers and they seemed to be working, but not on emotionally pain. It was now late at night and he was waiting in his dark room staring at his cell phone. He was waiting for their signal, which was the phone vibrating three times, pausing, and then vibrating twice. Every tiny sound he heard in his house made him jump and made thoughts race through his head. _'Does dad know? How can he know? Did he hear us? Is he going to hurt me again? Should I warn C.J. not to come?'_

Finally, the signal was received. Heart pounding, he got out of bed and quietly made his way to the door of his bedroom. He opened it and looked around for any signs of his father. He quietly went down the stairs and out the front door. He held his breath waiting to hear any signs of his father stirring. Cody stepped out into the cool night air, outside of his home. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. If anyone was out there, no one would have noticed him. He was wearing a black ski cap with blue flames at the bottom, a gray and black camouflage shirt with long blue sleeves, black pants, and black converses. A black backpack was on his back.

A light from the bushes flashed in his face and he dropped down off of the porch and crawled underneath it. It was so dark he didn't see anyone but he knew someone was there when he bumped his head hard. He rubbed it and shined his flashlight on C.J.'s face, which was twisted in pain as she rubbed her own head.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I didn't know you were that close."

"You ready to do this?" she whispered back.

"Y-yeah."

"You're not nervous, are you?"

"How can you not be? My heart is pounding against my ribcage!"

"I've done this a lot."

"Why doesn't this surprise me?"

"Do you have your bike next to the garage?"

"Oops."

"I figured this would happen. So I got you Jake's. C'mon, we have to hurry!"

They darted across the street where C.J. left the bikes. They picked it up as quietly as they could and started to ride down the street. Cody had finally felt safe for the first time in a while, and he has this feeling around _her_, not his twin. _'She's not like any other girl I have met before. She's…different. Not as obsessed about her nails, or hair, or facial features like the other girls I've met before.' _He thought to himself as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. A small smile, along with a blush, formed on his face as he followed her towards the bus station.

The cool wind whipping his face kept him awake. In reality he was extremely tired. They rode on in silence; the only thing that was making noise was the cars that were riding behind them. Cody held his breath every time a car's headlight's passed them. But one car's head lights didn't. They stayed glued to his back.

"Don't look, but I think your dad is following us," C.J. hissed.

"WHAT?" Cody shouted in shock as he started to turn his head around. C.J. shot out her arm and grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"We'll have to pedal like crazy to get away from him!"

"Let's do it!"

C.J. and Cody started to pedal as fast as they could to get away from the car. Kurt sped up so he could stay with them, but not enough to catch them, just to see where they were going. Cody started to slow down from exhaustion as they passed a interception. He suddenly flipped over the bike and landed hard on his back, just as the light changed and cars sped towards him. He quickly rolled out of the way to barely miss the cars. He sighed as he stood up, but his sigh suddenly turned to a scream of terror as Kurt accelerated drove towards him.

He stood frozen in the headlights…


	11. Saving Him

Ch.11-Saving Him

_Zack was suddenly outside on a crowded street. His breath came out in a cloud in front of him as he looked around in confusion. His eyes widened once he saw C.J. and Cody pedaling as fast as they could away from a car. Zack opened his mouth to say something but he couldn't make a sound. He just watched in horror as his brother flipped over his bike and landed hard on his back. He wanted to scream as cars passed Cody. He sighed with relief as his twin stood. Suddenly a car sped towards Cody, and he just stood there._

_Zack stumbled forward then broke into a run. He ran faster than he ever had in his life. It must be the adrenaline pumping through his body. He tackled Cody to the ground and they both landed on the road with a groan. Zack started to roll over until they were both safe on the sidewalk. Cody got up and brushed himself off as C.J. walked up to him. Zack held out his hand to say something but stopped as darkness started to settle in. Everything started to disappear. First the scenery, then C.J., then Cody…_

"CODY! NO!"

Zack bolted upright and looked around wildly. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead and down the tip of his nose. He wiped off his forehead and sighed heavily. He put his head in his hands and though of the dream. Or was it their twin telepathy? Either way, it freaked Zack out. He pulled his old stuffed teddy bear, Mr. Teddy, out from underneath his pillow and clutched it to his chest as he laid back down and tried to go back to sleep.

Which wasn't easy…

--------------------------------

"Zack, wake up!" Tapeworm yelled into his ear. Zack just lowered his head and snored loudly as he muttered words in his sleep.

"I can get him to wake up. Move over," Kuro said as she pushed Tapeworm out of her way. She leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Hey Zack. It's Maddie. Wake up so I can give you a kiss."

Zack instantly shot up, hitting Kuro in the face with his arm in the process. He wiped the drool off his chin and glanced at his friends through sleepy eyes. He looked around in confusion, and then dropped his head onto his desk once again.

"Why're you so tired?" Max asked as she sat next to him in their math class.

"I had this…twin telepathy moment,' he muttered as he yawned. "It kept me up all night."

"What happened in it?"

"Cody was in trouble. He was about to get hit by a car. I knocked him out of the way and got him to safety. Then they, he and C.J., that girl I was telling you about, disappeared."

"Was it just a dream?" Tapeworm asked.

"I told you! It was a twin telepathy moment! It was too real to be a dream. Cody's trying to contact me. I can feel it at random times of the day. He's trying to tell me something," Zack growled.

"That's kind of like the same feeling I had with my siblings…before they died," Kuro said thoughtfully.

"Are you saying that Zack and Cody have these strange powers? That they can read each other's minds?" Tapeworm asked.

"It's possible," Max responded. "How's our plan going?"

"Great. They should be at the airport by now and on their plane getting ready to take off. If they didn't run into any trouble," Zack responded.

------------------------------

Cody held his breath every time a car's headlight's passed them. But one car's head lights didn't. They stayed glued to his back.

"Don't look, but I think your dad is following us," C.J. hissed.

"WHAT?" Cody shouted in shock as he started to turn his head around. C.J. shot out her arm and grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"We'll have to pedal like crazy to get away from him!"

"Let's do it!"

C.J. and Cody started to pedal as fast as they could to get away from the car. Kurt sped up so he could stay with them, but not enough to catch them, just to see where they were going. Cody started to slow down from exhaustion as they passed a interception. He suddenly flipped over the bike and landed hard on his back, just as the light changed and cars sped towards him. He quickly rolled out of the way to barely miss the cars. He sighed as he stood up, but his sigh suddenly turned to a scream of terror as Kurt accelerated drove towards him.

He stood frozen in the headlights…

A force suddenly knocked him over, out of harm's way. He gasped as he landed hard on his side. His dad's car sped off. Sighing, he stood and brushed off his clothes. As he dusted the seat of his pants he felt something hard ram the back of his legs. The next thing he knew, he was sliding over the top and the back end of a car until he landed painfully on his side.

C.J. quickly ran up to him and grabbed him under the arms, then dragged him out of the street. Cody groaned once his back was n the cool pavement. He stared up at the night sky as he struggled to catch his breath; C.J. was checking him for scrapes and bruises.

"I thought you were going to get run over for sure," she whispered as she watched the cars go by.

"Same here," Cody said astonished.

"I'm surprised that no one stopped to help you. These people."

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For moving me out of the street. Knowing these people I wouldn't seriously gotten hurt," he said as he propped himself up by his elbows and gazed at her. A blush crossed his cheeks as their blue eyes locked.

"No problem," she responded as she looked away and inspected her bike. A huge white gash was on it where she threw it down on the sidewalk.

"Thanks too, Zack," he muttered.

"What'd you say?"

"I was thanking Zack."

"For what?" She asked in confusion as she looked at him like he was crazy.

"I felt this…force that pushed me out of the way of dad's car. It had to have been Zack." He replied as if it were obvious. She nodded and inspected her bike again. Cody smiled as he looked up at the sky once more. _'Thanks for saving my life Zack. I'll see you soon.'_


	12. Diverting Kurt: The Runaways!

Ch.12-Diverting Kurt: The Runaways!

"He's going to come back you know," C.J. said suddenly, snapping Cody out of his reverie. He shot up until he was sitting up Indian-style; his eyes were wide.

"Why doesn't this surprise me? How're we going to get away?" He asked as he looked down at her beat up bike, and across the street at his mangled bike. When she didn't answer he glanced at her and saw a smile form on his face. He got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. "What?"

"I know a way out of here. But you're going to have to trust me," she said as she glanced at him.

"I'm scared."

"Don't be such a baby!"

"Do you want to see your twin or not? Do you want to be safe or not? Do you-"

"I get it! I get it. Ok fine, what's your idea?"

------------------------

The rush of air along with the speed caused Cody to clutch C.J. around her waist in fear. A whistling sound and a loud roaring sound filled his ears as he and C.J. rolled down the interstate on a motorcycle. Yes, a motorcycle. C.J. waited for the cars to stop until she and Cody dashed across the street to the motorcycle that was parked. She got on and put on her helmet. She turned around and gave one to Cody.

"Can you drive this thing?" He asked hesitantly.

"Of course, I drive these all of the time," she responded as he put on his helmet. He sighed happily, and she added, "In an arcade. But I'm sure I can drive this thing too."

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" Cody screamed as they sped down the open highway. He looked down at the ground and regretted it immediately. The road sped by at a dizzying pace and got Cody scared. He looked up at the sky as the stars seemed to create lines shooting through the blackness.

Suddenly he felt a bump behind them and turned his head. His eyes widened as he recognized his father's car behind them.

"CRYSTAL! WE HAVE SOME COMPANY!" He yelled over the motorcycle. C.J. glanced in the side mirrors. "HOW DOES HE ALWAYS FIND US?"

"YOU'RE CELL PHONE! HE MUST HAVE A TRACKING DEVICE IN IT!" C.J. yelled back. "HOLD ON! I'LL TRY TO LOSE HIM!" She suddenly twisted the throttle and they went faster than ever!

Kurt sped up and followed them close behind. He weaved in and out of cars along with them. He almost crashed into another car but swerved in the nick of time. C.J. turned sharply at a curve and Cody started to slip little by little. As she swung the motorcycle again he practically slid off but he quickly grabbed the back of C.J.'s jacket and pulled himself back on. His cell phone fell out as he swung his leg back over the side.

C.J. quickly took a chance and drove off an exit ramp right as Kurt passed them. She gave him the finger and laughed. Cody started to laugh at the look in his father's face as they drove off. They stopped at an open gas station and went inside. Cody went straight towards the bathroom as C.J. started to take things off of the shelves. He used the bathroom and went to the sink to wash his hands. Since there were no paper towels or a hand dryer he wiped his hands off on his shirt and started to open the door when he heard someone say his name.

"…Cody and a friend took off on a motorcycle? I think I saw two kids fitting your description come in here. Yes. I'll make sure he doesn't get there, don't you worry. I'll shoot them if I have to."

Panic stricken, Cody kicked the door open and it hit the man who was talking on the cell phone hard. He dropped the phone and hit the ground as Cody tore out of the bathroom. He searched the aisles for her and he found her paying for the food at the counter. As she grabbed the back he grabbed her arm and started to run out of the gas station, ignoring her protests. A man suddenly jumped out at them and Cody stopped so C.J. crashed into him. He had ice-light ghost-like blue eyes. A scar ran by his left eye like a crescent moon. His dirty blond hair was in a buzz cut and made him look even more menacing.

"You two are coming with me," was all he said.

"Over my dead body!" C.J. snapped as she pulled her arm out of Cody's grasp.

"I can arrange that. Either come with me quietly or…" the man said as he pulled a gun out of his pocket and gestured it and pointed it at Cody's head. His heart began to quicken and tears fell freely from his eyes. _'She wouldn't let me get shot. Or…maybe she would. I haven't known her that long and I don't know anything about her past. I don't know anything about her. She could be a serial killer on the run, or a hit man. Why does this have to happen to me? I wish you were here Zack. You would know what to do. You wouldn't just stand here. You'd…RUN!'_

The gun suddenly exploded and Cody felt something whiz past his ear as he was shoved to the ground. He quickly crawled towards the door but a foot connected with his face. He recoiled and held his reddening face in pain. He heard gun shots, shouts, and screams. He quickly jumped to his feet and started to run. He was almost out the door when-

"AAAAH!" Cody screamed as he crashed right into Kurt. His father grabbed Cody by his upper arm and punched him in the face, hard. Blood started to flow from his nose as he fell onto his back. He looked up in time to see C.J. launch herself at Kurt and knock him off his feet. Cody was suddenly grabbed from behind and was lifted off of the ground. He started to struggle and kick and was suddenly dropped as his captor let go and bent down in pain. He then did a back kick to the man's face and ran off, sprinting as fast as he could; C.J. was close behind. Cody felt pain in his leg and he steadily started to slow down.

Everything swam before his eyes as he fell to his knees. C.J. suddenly screeched to a halt and looked back at him. She started to run back as Kurt and the man ran towards Cody; the man was shooting bullets at her and they seemed to explode in Cody's head. He could hear C.J.'s grunts and screams as she fought the two men on her own as Cody slowly slipped into unconsciousness. He could feel himself being dragged somewhere but he didn't know where. He finally lost all feeling and blacked out…


	13. Captured!

**A/N: Thanks for the review everyone! I finally got 100! Woo-hoo! Ok, there's going to be a little change in this. I'll type her name as Crystal, but everyone will call her C.J. But it's the same person, ok? Crystal and C.J. are the same person!**

Ch.13-Captured!

"Onto Step Four: The Change," Zack said as he paced his bedroom; Max, Kuro, and Tapeworm sat in front of him. "What happens in step four again?"

"I told you this before! Max and I will go out and by you clothes that Cody would normally wear while you and Tapeworm go to the gym to either work out or play basketball until you're…as slim as Cody. Then, once he gets here, you two will switch. No one will know the difference," Kuro responded.

"I think they would know the difference. Zack's not that bright," Max pointed out.

"I can tutor him."

"Then you'll need to start teaching him now. We'll swing by later," Tapeworm said as he and Max stood and left the room. Zack and Kuro waved at their friends as they left. Kuro then turned towards Zack and had a look of disgust on her face. He had his arm raised and was counting armpit hair.

"Put your arm down and open a book!" She snapped. He dropped his arm and looked at her confused. "What book?" Kuro growled and pulled her math book out of her backpack and opened it up to the chapter they were working on. "Get working and ask me when you need help!"

Zack opened a notebook and picked up a pencil. He stared at the book and looked up and smiled at Kuro weekly and asked, "Can you help me?" Rolling her eyes, Kuro got off the bed and got next to him. For the next hour she was helping him on two different functions. He couldn't process the information that well so they took a while.

"That's it! I give up! You can't concentrate! It's hopeless!" Kuro said as she stood up and glared.

"Saving my brother is _NOT_ hopeless!" Zack said in a quiet voice as he glared at the paper.

"No, but helping _YOU_ is!"

"Look," Zack said as he stood abruptly and grabbed her arm; she looked into his hard blue eyes. "My brother is out there somewhere getting hurt by my bastard of a father! I want to help him, no matter what. Even if it means studying. _I have to save my brother_! You'd understand if you had siblings."

Kuro growled and jerked her arm out of Zack's reach. Her icy blue eyes hardened into a glare as she backed out of his room with a scowl on her face. Her gaze was still on him as she said, _"If you were smart enough you wouldn't have told me that!"_ With that, Kuro stomped angrily out of the room and slammed the door to his suite shut.

Sighing angrily, Zack threw his math books off of the desk and they landed on the floor with a thud. He dropped onto his bed and held his head in his hands as he felt his twin telepathy starting. He quickly grabbed a pillow and pressed it against his mouth as he started to scream when he felt his brother's pain. He was so used to it and it didn't hurt as much as before, but it was still painful.

He panted heavily as the pain subsided and sweat trickled down his forehead. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the pain that Cody was feeling, trying to link to his brother. Scenes started to flash before his eyes as sounds entered his head. He heard a girl's scream and a man's shout. It sounded like his father. He shut his eyes tighter as he heard Cody's gasps of pain and saw a man pointing a gun at Cody. He saw the man slowly pull his finger against the trigger and-

"Zack?" Carey asked in a worried voice as he shook her oldest son. Zack's eyes shot open as he looked up at his mother from the floor. He sat up and rubbed his head as his mother continued to look at him in concern.

"I'm fine mom. I just dozed off," he said as he stood.

"It didn't seem like you 'just dozed off'. You were screaming Cody's name, and jerking around, and-" Carey started.

"Mom! I'm fine, ok?" Zack snapped as he backed up.

"Why're your math books on the floor?"

"I was trying to study…and I got a headache and accidentally knocked them over. That's all."

"If you're sure-"

"I'm sure!"

"Ok then. I have a gig tonight. Maddie will come to baby sit you in about twenty minutes. Love you."

"Yeah, whatever," Zack said loud enough for his mom to hear and for her to flinch. "If you loved me you'd bring Cody back."

-------

While Maddie baby sat him, Zack sat at the table all night working on his homework. He got Maddie to help him and was finally starting to understand it when the phone rang. He watched as Maddie picked up the phone and started to talk to the person on the other line. Only when Maddie called him to the phone, did he put down his pencil.

"H'llo?" He asked as he stared out the window.

"Zack…it's C.J." a voice full of pain said on the other end of the line.

"What's up? Where's Cody?" He asked immediately.

"I don't know where he is…_he_ must've taken him."

"NO!"

"I'm sorry."

"How could you let him take Cody like that? _How could you?_ You were supposed to be protecting him!" Zack growled, trying not to catch Maddie's attention.

"I know, I know!" Crystal sounded as if she were crying. "This is my entire fault. I'm here, if you wanted to know. We can go looking for him tomorrow. I remember one thing before waking up here."

"Hold on. I'll come down. Where are you?"

"The alley two buildings down please hurry."

Zack took a quick glance around the room and noticed, more like heard, that Maddie was in the bathroom. He quietly grabbed his coat and left the room. He got into the elevator and waited impatiently for it to go down to the lobby. He avoided Mr. Moseby and left the Tipton and stepped into the cold air. He went down the street two buildings and saw a girl with black hair clutching her knees and trembling uncontrollably.

"Crystal?" He asked in a quiet voice; it startled her anyway. She looked up at him with confused filled eyes as he knelt by her. She reached out a hand and gently stroked his cheek, ran it through his hair, and turned his head from side-to-side.

"You're…him," she muttered. "You're Zack. You look a lot like your twin."

"I know. Come inside, you need to get warm," He said as he put an arm around her waist and helped her stand. She leaned against him for support and he helped her into the hotel and up to his room. He helped Crystal sit on the couch, right as Maddie came out of the bathroom wearing her Tipton uniform but a towel was wrapped around her head; the scent of lavender came out of the bathroom behind her.

"Maddie, this is Crystal also known by us as C.J. She's the one who's been helping Cody this whole times," Zack said as he handed Crystal a cup of hot-chocolate.

"If she's here that must mean Cody's-"Maddie started.

"He's been captured. Now we don't know where he is or how we're going to find him," Zack interrupted as he ran a hand through his hair; then it suddenly dawned on him. "Ceej, you said that you remembered something? What was it? Did it have to do with Cody? Tell me!"

"I heard something that your dad said. He said something about…Cody. Something like, "If they come for him again I swear I'll kill him. I'll tell them it was an accident. That way they won't be able to get him back!'" Crystal said in a perfect imitation of Kurt.

"Where were you when you got ambushed?" Maddie questioned.

"That's the pathetic part. We didn't even get out of California."

"Well, that settles it. If we can't get my brother here, we'll have to go to my brother!" Zack announced as he looked out the window into the starry night. "And we will get him back, safe and sound!"


	14. Thank You

**A/N: Chapter may be short. I didn't know what to write.**

Ch.14-Thank You

**Cody's POV-**

Once I regained consciousness, everything was still dark. I tried to move my arms but they were tied behind my back; my legs were also tied. I suddenly started to slide until I crashed into a wall and saw stars. Before I could groan, or react, I was sliding back in the other direction and I banged my head once more. That's when I realized I was in the back of a truck, bound and gagged. Suddenly something sharp poked my arm. I rubbed the ropes against it until they broke. I quickly reached up and pulled off my blindfold. I then bent over and untied the ropes that were on my legs.

I searched around in the darkness for something heavy. I picked up what felt like a dumbbell and banged it against the glass. I was about to bang it again when the car suddenly swerved and I lost my balance. I went flying back and landed hard on something; judging by the loud thud near my ear the dumbbell landed only a couple of inches away. Lights from the highway flashed by, giving me light every few seconds.

I lifted the dumbbell again and was about to hit the glass once again when the car swerved; this time I hit the glass dead on. A cut made blood trickle out of my forehead as I held it and dropped the dumbbell. I curled into a ball and lied down on the ground as the car sped off. _'Where's Ceej? What'd they do to her? I hope she's ok. Zack, please hurry and get help me. I want to go home. I want to see you and mommy again.'_

'_**Cody?'**_

'_Zack?'_

'_**Yeah. I'm here. Are you ok?'**_

'…_yes.'_

'_**You're lying. I just got a cut on my forehead. Where are you? Ceej is here and she's worried. So'm I.'**_

'_I don't know where I am or where dad is taking me. How'd Ceej get to Boston?'_

'_**I don't know. She doesn't even know. Stay strong. We're trying to find out where you are so we can get you.'**_

'_Zack, I don't think I can live through this pain any longer.'_

'_**You have to! I want to see you again! You have to fight the pain…fight dad.'**_

'_I can't! He'll just hurt me even worse! He almost killed me all ready!'_

'_**Because he can see your fear. Don't be scared. I'm always there with you.'**_

'…_Ok. I'll try not to make him mad for a while and see where we are. I'll tell you as soon as possible. I love you Zack.'_

'_**I love you too, Cody.'**_

I stayed quite the whole time until my dad stopped. He opened the back and waited for me to jump out of the truck. I landed on my knees once they buckled. Kurt grabbed my arm and pulled me up and practically shoved me inside the rest area. He watched me like a hawk to make sure I didn't stray. He kept me away from the map but I caught a look at it. I was in Arizona. I waited by my dad's side as he went to get something to eat. I quietly snuck away and saw an express bus. I ran towards it and got on.

"Excuse me, but where does this bus go?" I asked as I glanced out the windows nervously. Before the driver could answer a lady about the age of 27 who had golden hair up in a bun walked up to me.

"By any chance, is your name Cody?" She asked.

"How'd you know?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"I've been hired by a friend to help you. Come sit with me, you'll be safe from now on," she said with a warm smile as she took my hand and lead me to my seat. I sat next to her and watched the stranger curiously as she pulled a first aid-kit out of her bag and started to dab at my forehead. "My name's Mandy."

"Who hired you?" I asked as I winced a little from the pain that coursed through my forehead.

"She won't say. All I can say is is that she's really worried about you," Mandy responded.

I smiled, then blushed as my stomach made a loud growling sound. But then, once I realized what it was, my eyes widened in fear as I pressed my face against the window and peered into the darkness. I knew it! My dad was charging towards the bus. Right as he got close to it the doors closed and we drove off.

"I SWEAR, CODY MARTIN, I WILL FIND YOU AND I WILL GET YOU BACK!"

I brought my knees up to my chest and closed my eyes as he screamed at me. Tears leaked out of the corners of my eyes. Mandy wrapped her arms around me and held me close as I continued to cry. Half of my tears were of fear, the other of joy. I was finally way from my abusive dad. I was finally going back home to my family. I was finally going to live my normal life with my brother again, and it was ll because of her.

"Thank you…mom," I muttered before I fell asleep, safe in Mandy's arms.


	15. Brothers

Ch.15-Brothers

**Zack's POV-**

"You sure you're ok? It doesn't hurt?" Max asked me the fifth time as she put a band-aid onto my forehead.

"I'm fine Max, ok? Stop worrying about me," I muttered as she brushed my bangs out of the way. I looked up into her brown eyes with a look of determination and amusement in my eyes.

"I can't stop worrying about you, Zack," she said as she looked down at me. Before I could react, she leaned down and pressed her lips against mine. Her eyes were closed and she laid her hands on my shoulders. I slowly closed my eyes and rested my hands on her waist, pulling her closer as I kissed her back.

"Hey guys, I-" Kuro said as she walked into the room and she suddenly stopped as Max and I quickly pulled away blushing. "What's going on here?" She asked in a cold voice.

"Nothing! Max just…gave me a band-aid," I replied nervously as Max nervously bit her lip.

"Seems like she could give you mono too!" Kuro snapped and stomped angrily out of the room. I sighed, gently pushed Max away, and raced after her. I grabbed her arm and stopped her from going into the elevator that appeared.

"Is something bothering you?"

"No! Just leave me alone!"

"I'm _not_ going to leave you alone until you tell me what's wrong!" Kuro just glared down at her feet as I stared at her and kept a firm hold on her arm so she wouldn't leave. "Do you like me, Kuro?" I suddenly blurted out. She looked up at me with a weird look on her face and turned her head away.

"Stay away from me, Zackary Martin!" She growled as she pulled her arm out of my grasp and entered the elevator. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair as I walked back to my suite. My mom was talking to Max about some dance show. I ignored them both and walked into my room.

"Girls. They're so emotional!" I muttered as I flopped onto my bed and put a pillow over my face. After a while of silence I turned on my radio and listen to Simple Plan as I read a book. Yes, I read a book. Don't seem so surprised. It helps me clear my head. Anyway, my mom came in about two hours later with some dinner.

"What's the occasion? Usually you don't allow me to eat in here," I said, my voice full of suspicion, as she placed a tray with my dinner on it at the edge of my bed.

"I just want you to feel comfortable," Carey responded. She sighed and kept going. "This is my fault. That you two got split up, and I've known that. I tried to keep both of you. But it was the judge's orders that one of you would go to Kurt. I knew why he wanted to take Cody. To hurt him. So it could feel like he was hurting me instead. I know about your plan."

"What plan/" I asked, full of attention.

"Your plan to get Cody back."

"I don't have a plan. I'm just…" And like an idiot, I burst into tears. Carey pulled me into a hug and I clutched her tightly. "I want Cody back! I _need_ Cody back!"

"I know baby. I know. You two will see each other soon."

"How do you know?"

"…Mothers just know these things."

---------------------

"C'mon Maddie! Just one more game. Please?" I begged her later that night, about 10:30.

"Zack, you know you should be in bed right now," she said in a stern voice.

"I know. I just can't sleep. This odd feeling is keeping me awake. Can we see a movie at least?" I asked in a small voice as I put on my 'I'm-going-to-cry-' face.

"Ok. What do you want to watch?"

"How about Titanic?" I asked as I raised my eyebrows and winked.

"Now way, little man."

"I'm a man now? Does that mean you'll go out with me?"

"Not on your life! How about you go downstairs and get some candy? I'll surprise you with the video."

"Oh-kay."

I sighed as I left my suite and waited for the elevator to arrive. I got in and pressed the button marked L. I hummed to myself as the elevator slowly made its way down to the lobby. It stopped on the fifth floor and Crystal came on.

"Hey Ceej," I greeted her happily.

"Hey Zack. Nice pjs," she said with a small smile as she looked me up and down. I blushed embarrassedly as I ran a hand through my hair and looked down at them myself. I was wearing a red t-shirt over my black boxers.

"I could say the same for you!" I said as I grinned. Crystal looked down at her black t-shirt and blue shorts; a gray sports bra strap was visible from the collar.

"It's what I'm comfortable in. Candy run?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Same. Might as well go together," Crystal said as she tucked her blue strand of hair behind her ear. We waited in silence while the elevator came down the rest of the way. Once they opened we went to the counter and bought our candy from the candy counter girl who had the night shift. A noise caused me to turn around.

A soft voice, as soft as the wind filled my ears. It caught Crystal's attention also and made her turn around as a very dirty boy staggered into the lobby. His blond hair was so long it hung down to his nose, covering most of his face and eyes. His clothes had rips and holes and tears. Cuts, scrapes, and bruises covered his arms and legs. I wanted to leave, but something about him wanted me to stay. I walked behind the boy and turned him around. I lifted the bangs from his face and gasped…

---------------------

**Cody's POV-**

"Where are we going?" I asked as I groggily stumbled off the bus once we reached our destination…the middle of nowhere. I flicked my head to get my long bangs out of my eyes. While I was living with my dad he refused to let me get my hair cut, so I just had to let it grow out.

"I won't tell you where. But I promise you, you're safe with me," Mandy said as she gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. I smiled and let her lead me to a restaurant. I sat down across from her in a booth and kicked my legs back and forth as I looked at a menu. My stomach growled as I read every item.

"What can I get?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"Anything you want. This is a celebration of you getting away from your father," she responded with a warm smile. I grinned back as a waitress came up to our table and took our drink orders.

"It's weird," I started after a minute of silence and I moved my hair out of my eyes. "I always thought everything was cool with my dad. Whenever we were around him, he was fine. He didn't drink or do drugs or anything. He was…perfect."

"Don't mind me saying this," Mandy started. "But, your father is pretty smart to hide it from you guys…well, except for your mother."

"Yeah…here I thought I was smart."

"You are smart Cody. Smart enough to pick your friends that care for you."

"What're you," I started to ask, then it dawned on me. And a blush formed on my cheeks. "You mean Crystal, don't you?"

"Yes I do. I can tell that you like her a lot, and that she likes you if she risked her life to save you. You must mean a lot to her."

I nodded slightly as I sipped on my chocolate milkshake. The waitress came back with our food and we started to eat it in silence. I glanced around the restaurant only so I wouldn't have to look Mandy in the eye as she smirked at me. Time seemed to stand still as we ate. Finally Mandy asked, "You ready to go?" I flicked my head, my bangs flying off my face, and nodded.

We left the restaurant and got into the rental car. She drove us to the airport and the whole time I didn't ask where we were going. I just listened to my cd player as I slept. We waited at the terminal for a while and finally got onto the plane. I was scared once it took off, but relaxed eventually. The flight was really smooth and the flight attendants were really nice to me.

We touched down after a few hours and pushed our way through the busy airport. I got pushed and shoved and got hit hard by a huge bag someone was carrying, but other than that, I was fine. Mandy ushered me outside to another rental car and we drove off in silence once again. I drifted off to sleep and was shaken awake by Mandy later. I lost all sense of time. All I knew was that my old wounds were killing me. I staggered to my feet and followed her into a hotel called the Tiptop or something.

"Too bright," I muttered to myself once I walked in through the revolving door. The Tip-something had so many bright lights it hurt my eyes. I was about to follow Mandy when a boy came over and gave me an odd look. He suddenly lifted my bangs and stared at me; then he gasped.

I recognized him.

He's what I call my friend.

My life.

My hero.

My only reason of living.

My brother.

My Zack.


	16. Reunion

Ch.16-Reunion

**Cody's POV-**

"Cody?" Zack asked in a shocked whisper.

Pain coursed throughout my body as I opened my mouth to say something. I just nodded as a smile crossed my face. I launched myself into my brother's arms and held him close as I cried into his warm embrace. Tears leaked out of my eyes as I hugged my brother tight, as if letting go would make him disappear. I stood back and took a look at him, to see if he has changed at all. He has. He's a skinny as me now and his smile is brighter.

"It's good to see you again, bro," Zack said to me as his eyes sparkled.

"It's only good to see me? I figured you'd be ecstatic," I said as I pouted playfully. Zack punched me lightly in the arm and hugged me again. He suddenly pulled away and lifted up my sleeve. Dark bruises and scratches were on my arm. His face darkened as he raised the other sleeve. I tilted my head slightly so my bangs would cover my eyes and I wouldn't have to look at his face.

"That bastard!" he hissed venomously.

"It's ok Zack. He's gone. He won't hurt him ever again," Mandy said as she placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Who's she?" Zack asked me.

"I want to know that myself," I said as I turned my head to look at her.

"You really want to know?" She asked. Zack and I nodded so she responded, "I'm your Aunt Mandy. Your mom called me to help me find Cody. So, I tracked him down and we made our way here."

"Thank you…for bringing my brother home safely," Zack said as he hugged me again. "Oh!" He suddenly exclaimed. "Look who's here."

I turned and lifted my bangs with my hands as my eyes widened. Crystal grinned at me before she rushed over and hugged me. I hugged her back as a smile formed on my face. I sighed happily as we let go of each other.

"How're you doing? I was worried," I stated as I shoved my hands into my pockets.

"I'm fine. I've been hanging with Zack and our friends," she responded with a shrug.

"That's good," I said as I nodded, then turned to Zack. "Where's mom? I really want to see her."

"She should be back from her gig now. Let's check out our suite." He responded as he looked at his watch. My mouth fell open in awe.

"You live in a suite?"

"No, _we_ live in a suite. It came with mom's contract thing. You coming or what?"

"Of course. I'll see you later Ceej."

"Later Code."

I followed Aunt Mandy and Zack into the elevator. My heart started to race as I watched the numbers light up. _'What if she doesn't recognize me? What if she doesn't want me back? What'll I do? Where'll I go? I can't stay out on the streets; dad will find me again and kill me for sure. I don't want to go back! I want my mom! I want my mom!'_ Zack looked at me and smiled as if saying 'everything will be ok." I nodded and took a deep breath to slow down my heart as we walked down a hall way. We stopped outside of room 2330.

"You wait here. I'll give you a signal to come in," Zack said as he opened the door. I nodded and listened to him and Mandy as they walked in.

"Mom. You'll never guess who's here," he said in a serious tone.

"Is it Kurt?" My mom asked in shock. I closed my eyes and tried to keep her voice in my head. I missed her voice.

"Even better," Aunt Mandy replied in her normally soft voice. "You can come in now."

Taking another deep breath, I pushed open the door and walked into the room. I looked straight at my mom through my blond hair. I flicked my head so I could see her better. She looked exactly the same. I suddenly remembered everything about her as I tired not to cry; my eyes betrayed me.

"cody," she whispered.

"MOMMY!" I exclaimed and ran to her. I threw my arms around her waist and hugged her tight, pressing my head into her stomach as if I still were a little kid. She kneeled and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, crying openly. We swayed back and forth, not wanting to let go. _'I'm back. I'm back with my family. I'm safe. Finally.' _I pulled back and wiped my mom's tears as I smiled. She smiled and kissed my cheek. "Thank you Aunt Mandy, for everything," I said as I hugged her too.

"Your quite welcome," she responded. "I best be on my way."

"No! Aunt Mandy, you gotta stay! What if…dad finds you and hurts you too. Then it'll be all my fault," I said in desperation.

"'Hurts you too'?" Carey repeated slowly. "Cody! Don't tell me you…you- and you didn't even tell me!" She couldn't even say it. Zack and I exchanged a glance and I held my head in shame.

"I didn't…want you to worry," I muttered.

"Let me see! Are you hurt?" Carey asked as she grabbed my arm and pulled me towards her. She looked at my arms and legs as I protested loudly. She lifted my shirt and nearly cried at the scars and bruises I had.

"I'm fine mom," I responded in a shaky voice. Silence stretched throughout the room. The only sound was a knocking at the door. Since I was the closest to the door I went over and opened it. A black man in a suit was standing there with an angry look on his face.

"There you are! How many times have I told you NOT to paint faces on the portraits in the halls?" He roared. I cringed as he continued to yell, but I drowned it out. My eyes widened as he lifted his hand.

"NO! DON'T HURT ME! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!" I screamed as tears fell down my face and I backed up into my mom. I clung to her tightly as Zack reached my side and hugged me muttering soft, soothing words into my ear; the black man looked at me in confusion.

"Don't worry honey, he won't hurt you," Carey muttered as she stroked my hair.

"Yeah Cody. I won't let anyone hurt you. Not even dad. Not as long as I live," Zack whispered as he held me tight. "I promise."

_**THE END!**_

**A/N: Don't worry, there will be a sequel. I'm going to finish Never A Dull Moment and Cody Martin: A Shattered Soul first. So you'll have to wait a little. **


	17. Epilogue

**A/N: I know I said that the last chapter was the end, but I wanted to write an epilogue to the story so you have an idea about what's going to happen in the sequel. It is a co-write between me and Nixy Angel and we only have the prologue up, but you should check it out anyway. It's under my name and called _A Stronger Bond_. Please read and review that.**

**----------------------------------------**

Chapter 17-Epilogue

**Cody's POV-**

_Ever since the thought of us turning thirteen entered out heads, things have changed. My parents got divorced and Zack and I were split up. I was fine with that in the beginning, but then my dad started to change._

_I was never around him that much before so I always thought he was cool because he had his own band and went traveling around a lot. But I later learned that God made two different types of people in life: The smart ones: never do drugs, study, do everything they can to protect the ones they love._

_That's my mom and Zack._

_God also made another category of people in life: The bad ones: the ones who neglect their children, do drugs, drink, abuse physically and verbally, and get into a trouble a lot._

_That's my dad._

_But it never occurred to me that he was a bad guy. That was because he was always away playing gigs and partying. It never occurred to me that he could be drinking and having affairs behind mom's back and verbally abusing her. I guess that's why they drifted apart and mom wanted to protect us from him so she never said anything about it._

_But now...I wish she had._

_I would've been safe that way._

_Maybe I would live with Zack and mom in Boston while my dad stays by himself and ruins his life._

_Sometimes…_

_I wish it was Zack and not me…_

_I know it's bad to think, but I think about that all day as I look at my bruises, my scars, my hair, anything about me._

_Because my father's the reason for these thoughts._

_He's the reason for my pain._

_But now he's gone…_

_I won't hear his voice anymore, won't feel his beatings._

_Sometimes I wonder…_

_Would it be worse if I were a girl?_

_If Zack and I were twin girls instead of boys? Would he sexually abuse us if my mom ever left us with him alone?_

_This thought race through my head only because I heard a song by John Mayer called Daughters. It could be easily changed to be called sons. It easily reminds me of the life I have lived before and makes me glad that I have a savior to watch over me._

_Zack._

_And Crystal kind of. I like her a lot. Don't know if I have a crush on her though. She says she's been through the same thing. Does she get abused? I never asked, so I don't know. _

_**I know a girl  
She puts the color inside of my world  
But she's just like a maze  
Where all of the walls all continually change  
And I've done all I can  
To stand on her steps with my heart in my hands  
Now I'm starting to see  
Maybe it's got nothing to do with me  
**_

_I'm too afraid to ask. _

_**Fathers, be good to your daughters  
Daughters will love like you do  
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers  
So mothers, be good to your daughters too**_

_I don't want to ask!_

_**Oh, you see that skin?  
It's the same she's been standing in  
Since the day she saw him walking away  
Now she's left  
Cleaning up the mess he made**_

So fathers, be good to your daughters  
Daughters will love like you do  
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers  
So mothers, be good to your daughters too

_It'll bring back the pain…_

_Too much pain._

_**  
Boys, you can break  
You'll find out how much they can take  
Boys will be strong  
And boys soldier on  
But boys would be gone without the warmth from  
A womans good, good heart**_

_I am strong. I will be strong. No body can hurt me again. **  
On behalf of every man  
Looking out for every girl  
You are the god and the weight of her world**_

_**  
**And If I fall, I know Zack will be there to catch me. He's always there to catch me when I fall. I know. Because he and I have a bond.****_

So fathers, be good to your daughters  
Daughters will love like you do  
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers  
So mothers, be good to your daughters too

_**So mothers, be good to your daughters too**_

_**So mothers, be good to your daughters too**_

_And now, after everything that has happened, it's become stronger._

_We have a stronger bond._


End file.
